LA Times Crossword 6 Mar 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: MaryEllen Uthlaut
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Just Desserts

Themed answers are common phrases that reference DESSERTS:

  • 24A *Fruity dish that imparts a healthy glow? : PEACHES AND CREAM
  • 34A *Blended drinks that leave something to be desired? : NO GREAT SHAKES
  • 57A *Shortbread that doesn’t crumble under pressure? : TOUGH COOKIE
  • 65A *Pastry that doesn’t live up to its hype? : PIE IN THE SKY
  • 79A *Slice that’s easy to make? : PIECE OF CAKE
  • 98A *Triangular confections that are a credit to their baker? : BROWNIE POINTS
  • 114A *Dish that’s a metaphor for life? : A BOWL OF CHERRIES

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 12m 38s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 70-year-old morning show : TODAY

NBC’s “Today” show first aired way back in 1952 when it was the first “morning show” in the world. The first host of “Today” was Dave Garroway.

11 Small, deadly snakes : ASPS

In William Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra”, the heroine of the piece addresses the asp as she uses the snake to commit suicide:

Come, thou mortal wretch,
With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate
Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,
Be angry, and dispatch.

Later she says:

Peace, peace!
Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep?

20 Northern California town that once had a palindromic bakery : YREKA

The California city of Yreka developed from a miners’ camp called Thompson’s Dry Diggings. “Yreka” derives from the name for Mount Shasta (wáik’a) in the Shasta language, which translates as “North Mountain” or “White Mountain”. There is, however, a story related by Mark Twain that the name “Yreka” comes from the word “bakery”. Back when the area was a mining boomtown, a baker was preparing a canvas sign with the word “BAKERY”. Leaving it out to dry, all but the B could be seen through the canvas. This reversed “-AKERY” was read by a stranger, and he presumed that the sign gave the name of the camp, and read it as “YREKA”. The name stuck. Well, that’s Mark Twain’s story …

21 First thing lost in the “For Want of a Nail” proverb : SHOE

According to Benjamin Franklin’s 1758 essay “The Way to Wealth”:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost;
being overtaken and slain by the enemy,
all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.

27 Significant Civil War concern : DESERTION

To desert is to leave, without the intent to return. The verb “to desert” comes from the Latin “deserere”, which has the same meaning. “Deserere” in turn comes from “de” (undo) and “serere” (to join together).

33 Ball-bearing peg : TEE

A tee is a small device on which, say, a golf ball is placed before striking it. The term “tee” comes from the Scottish “teaz”, which described little heaps of sand used to elevate a golf ball for the purpose of getting a clean hit with a club.

34 *Blended drinks that leave something to be desired? : NO GREAT SHAKES

The idiomatic phrase “no great shakes” means “not very skilful”, as in “Bill is no great shakes at solving sports clues in the crossword”. There is a suggestion that the term comes from the act of shaking dice, as some shakes result in great numbers, and some don’t.

43 Certain something : AURA

An aura (plural “aurae”) is an intangible quality that surrounds a person or thing, a “je ne sais quoi”. “Je ne sais quoi” is French for “I don’t know what”.

44 River to the English Channel : SEINE

The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. It empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.

47 Music : verse :: poetry : __ : STANZA

“Stanza” is an Italian word meaning “verse of a poem”.

50 Rule, briefly : REG

Regulation (reg.)

51 Indecent matter : SMUT

“Smut” means “dirt, smudge” and more recently “pornographic material”. The term comes from the Yiddish “schmutz”, which is a slang word used in English for dirt, as in “dirt on one’s face”.

57 *Shortbread that doesn’t crumble under pressure? : TOUGH COOKIE

Shortening is a fat used in baking. It is the term “shortening” that gives us the words “shortbread” and “shortcake”.

62 Canada’s most populous prov. : ONT

The Canadian province of Ontario takes its name from the Great Lake. In turn, Lake Ontario’s name is thought to be derived from “Ontari:io”, a Huron word meaning “great lake”. Ontario is home to the nation’s capital of Ottawa as well as Toronto, Canada’s most populous city (and the capital of the province).

63 Snorkeling spot : REEF

Our word “snorkel” comes from German navy slang “Schnorchel” meaning “nose, snout”. The German slang was applied to an air-shaft used for submarines, due to its resemblance to a nose, in that air passed through it and it made a “snoring” sound. “Schnorchel” comes from “Schnarchen”, the German for “snore”.

65 *Pastry that doesn’t live up to its hype? : PIE IN THE SKY

We use the phrase “pie in the sky” to describe a ridiculously optimistic goal. The expression was coined by songwriter and labor activist Joe Hill in 1911 as a lyric in the hymn parody “The Preacher and the Slave”. The chorus is:

You will eat, bye and bye
In that glorious land above the sky
Work and Pray, live on hay
You’ll get pie in the sky when you die

69 Disney souvenir feature : EARS

In 2012, President Barack Obama visited Walt Disney World in Florida. He was there on official government business, and included a reference to Mickey Mouse in his speech:

And I confess, I am excited to see Mickey. It’s always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me.

Good one, Mr. President …

73 Airport abbr. : ARR

Arrival (arr.)

78 Magna __ laude : CUM

When an academic degree is awarded, a level of distinction can be noted depending on the degree of success achieved by the student. There are three types of honor, each with a Latin name:

  • cum laude: meaning “with honor” (literally “with praise”)
  • magna cum laude: meaning “with great honor”
  • summa cum laude: meaning “with highest honor”

84 “What’s done is done,” e. g. : PLATITUDE

A platitude is a banal or stale remark. The term “platitude” comes from the Old French “plat” meaning “flat”.

87 Rich deposit : LODE

A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The mother lode is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

88 __ constrictor : BOA

Boa constrictors are members of the Boidae family of snakes, all of which are non-venomous. Interestingly, the female boa is always larger than the male.

93 Kuhling of “Chicago Med” : NORMA

Norma Kuhling is an actress who is perhaps best known for portraying Dr. Ava Bekker on the TV drama “Chicago Med”. She also co-starred in the 2019 independent film “Fourteen”, in a performance that earned significant critical praise.

“Chicago Med” is a medical drama TV show that started airing in 2015. It is part of what’s known as the “Chicago” franchise, which also includes “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Justice”.

96 Thigh-length outer garment : CAR COAT

Today’s car coat is one that is worn by both men and women, and usually ends mid-thigh. The original car coats were long, heavy coats that provided protection for drivers and passengers in cars were inevitably exposed to the elements.

98 *Triangular confections that are a credit to their baker? : BROWNIE POINTS

To get a brownie point is to receive credit for an act designed to curry favor. Many suggest that the term “brownie point” comes from the junior girl scouting organization known as “Brownies”, in which members could earn points or merit badges.

102 Tolkien creature : ORC

Orcs are mythical humanoid creatures that appear in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien. Since Tolkien’s use of orcs, they have also been featured in other fantasy fiction as well as in fantasy video games.

105 Thin-sliced, browned bread : MELBA TOAST

Melba toast is a dry, thinly sliced toast that is usually served with soup or salad. Melba toast was created by chef Auguste Escoffier for opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, for whom he also created the dessert called peach Melba.

118 Sauna covering : ROBE

As my Finnish-American wife will tell you, “sauna” is a Finnish word, and is pronounced more correctly as “sow-nah” (with “sow” as in the female pig).

120 Off-the-wall : OUTRE

The word “outré”, meaning “unconventional, bizarre”, comes to us from French, as one might imagine. It is derived from the verb “outrer” meaning “to overdo, exaggerate”. “Outrer” is also the ultimate root of our word “outrage”.

121 Draco Malfoy’s trademark expression : SNEER

Draco Malfoy is one of the regular “bad guys” in the “Harry Potter” stories. Malfoy is one of Potter’s fellow students, the one who sneers a lot. Draco’s father is Lucius Malfoy, a character who becomes more and more relevant as the storyline in the series of books progresses.

123 H-shaped letters : ETAS

Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

Down

2 Flagstick holder : HOLE

That would be golf.

4 Agitator : FIREBRAND

A firebrand is a piece of burning wood that is used to kindle a fire. In a figurative sense, a firebrand is an agitator, someone who kindles passions.

5 Menu listing : ENTREE

“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found the ordering of meals to be very confusing when I first came to America!

7 After-sandwich sandwich : OREO

There’s a smartphone app featuring the Oreo cookie. It’s a game in which one twists Oreo cookies apart, “licks” the cream from the center and then dunks the remainder of the cookie in a glass of milk.

9 Westminster show org. : AKC

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the organization that handles registration of purebred dogs The AKC also promotes dog shows around the country, including the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

11 Balance sheet heading : ASSETS

The balance sheet of a company is a snapshot (single-point-in-time) view of a company’s financial position. The balance sheet lists all the company’s liabilities, all of its assets, and all of its ownership equity. The assets of a company, less its liabilities equals the ownership equity. The term “balance” is used because assets always balance out with the sum of liabilities and shareholder equity.

12 Persian rulers : SHAHS

“Shah” was a title used by Persian emperors that translates into English as “king”. The full title in Persian is “Sahahsah”, which means “King of Kings”.

13 Cornmeal product : PONE

“Pone” is another name for corn bread, and comes from the Powhatan term “apan” meaning “something baked”.

15 About 3.26 light-years : PARSEC

A parsec is a measure of length or distance used in astronomy. One parsec is equal to about 19.2 trillion miles.

A light-year (lt. yr.) is a measure of distance, not time. It is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, which is almost six trillion miles. The accepted abbreviation for a light-year is “ly”. A light-second is a much shorter distance: about 186,000 miles.

17 Omani money : RIAL

The rial is the currency of Oman (as well as Yemen, Iran and Tunisia). Generally, there are 1,000 baisa in one rial.

18 Alternatives to mortarboards : TAMS

A tam o’shanter is a man’s cap worn traditionally by Scotsmen. “Tams” were originally all blue (and called “blue bonnets”) but as more dyes became readily available they became more colorful. The name of the cap comes from the title character of the Robert Burns poem “Tam o’ Shanter”.

Tasseled mortarboards, or square academic caps, are associated with school graduations all over the world, although traditions do differ. For example in Ireland (where I come from), mortarboards are only worn by female graduates.

25 Gaelic tongue : ERSE

There are actually three Erse languages: Irish, Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scots Gaelic. In their own tongues, these would be “Gaeilge” (in Ireland), “Gaelg” (on the Isle of Man) and “Gaidhlig” (in Scotland).

34 Sadat’s predecessor : NASSER

Gamal Abdel Nasser was the second president of Egypt, and was in office from 1956 until he died in 1970. He stood alongside Muhammad Naguib, Egypt’s first president, during the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Nasser was an advocate of Pan-Arabism, an ideology promoting unification of Arab peoples and countries. President Nasser went so far as forming the United Arab Republic (UAR), a union between Egypt and Syria that started in 1958 but fell apart in 1961 when Syria withdrew.

38 Hastened : HIED

To hie is to move quickly, to bolt.

39 Joni Mitchell’s “__ Sides Now” : BOTH

“Both Sides, Now” is a very successful 1968 song written by Joni Mitchell, and most famously recorded by Judy Collins. It has been recorded many times by many different artists, including Leonard Nimoy would you believe?

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all

40 Break-in, nowadays : HACK

A computer hacker is a computer expert, and in particular one who uses that expertise to solve problems with hardware and software. So, the original use of the term “hacking” was very positive. Since the 1980s, the term “hacker” is more commonly used for an expert in subverting computer security.

41 Needle case : ETUI

An etui is an ornamental case used to hold small items, in particular sewing needles. We imported both the case design and the word “etui” from France. The French also have a modern usage of “etui”, using the term to depict a case for carrying CDs.

45 Pooch with a turned-up nose : PUG

The pug is a dog breed of Chinese origin. Our current family pet is a boxer/pug cross, and is a good-looking mutt!

51 Juniors-to-be : SOPHS

The term “sophomore” has been used for a student in the second year of university since the 1680’s. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

52 Calliope, for one : MUSE

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

54 Memorandum : NOTE

“Memorandum” means “thing to be remembered” in Latin, from the verb “memorare” meaning “to call to mind”.

56 Welcoming wreath : LEI

“Lei” is a Hawaiian word meaning “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a lei is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

57 Words on a spine : TITLE

In the US, the convention is to write the title on the spine of a book from top-to-bottom. In most of Europe, the convention is to write the title from bottom-to-top. We have a lot of books in the “library” in our house from both sides of the Atlantic, and so there is much movement of the head from left to right as we glance along our bookshelves.

58 Acme cactus costume wearer : COYOTE

The Acme Corporation is a fictional company used mainly by Looney Tunes, and within the Looney Tunes empire it appears mostly in “Road Runner” cartoons. Wile E. Coyote is always receiving a new piece of gear from Acme designed to finally capture the Road Runner, but the equipment always leads to his downfall.

61 Crawling reptile : SNAKE

Reptiles are tetrapod (four-legged) vertebrates. That said, snakes are reptiles, and they have no legs at all. But, snakes are still categorized as reptiles because they descended from tetrapod ancestors.

64 “Mirror of the mind”: St. Jerome : FACE

Saint Jerome was an Eastern European who spent most of his life living in Rome in the 4th and 5th centuries CE. He is known for his extensive writings, especially his commentaries on the Bible. His best-known work is the Vulgate, a translation of the Bible into Latin.

According to St. Jerome:

The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.

66 Air 2 or Pro : IPAD

The groundbreaking iPad was introduced by Apple in 2010. The iOS-based iPads dominated the market for tablet computers until 2013, when Android-based tablets (manufactured by several companies) took over the number-one spot.

67 Deli hanger : SALAMI

“Salame” (note the letter E at the end) is an Italian sausage that is traditionally associated with the peasant classes. The meat in the sausage is preserved with salt, and it can be hung and stored for as long as ten years. The name “salame” comes from “sale”, the Italian word for salt, and “-ame”, a suffix indicating a collective noun. Our English word “salami” is actually the Italian plural for “salame”.

68 New Zealand parrot : KEA

The kea is a large parrot that is native to the South Island of New Zealand. Apparently, tourists love keas as they are intelligent and curious. Natives tend to regard them as pests, for the same reasons.

70 Insight : ACUMEN

“Acumen” is such a lovely word, I think, one meaning “keenness of judgment or insight”. “Acumen” is Latin for “point, sting”, the idea being that someone with acumen has mental sharpness.

72 Refines, as ore : SMELTS

Metals are found in ore in the form of oxides. In order to get pure metal from the ore, the ore is heated and the metal oxides within are reduced (i.e. the oxygen is removed) in the chemical process known as smelting. The oxygen is extracted by adding a source of carbon or carbon monoxide which uses up the excess oxygen atoms to make carbon dioxide, a waste product of smelting (and, a greenhouse gas).

74 Gemstone from the sea : RED CORAL

Precious coral (also “red coral”) is a marine coral that develops a very hard, red skeleton. The skeleton is so durable that it can be collected and polished to make glassy beads that are used as jewelry.

77 Diarist Anaïs : NIN

Anaïs Nin was a French author who was famous for the journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

79 Tiny time meas. : PSEC

A picosecond is one trillionth of a second, and is correctly abbreviated to “ps” in the SI system of measurements. I guess that’s what “psec” is meant to be …

80 Field of Dreams home : IOWA

Field of Dreams is a baseball field in Dubuque County, Iowa that was constructed by Universal Pictures for the 1989 movie of the same name. The field is now a major tourist attraction. About a year after filming, locals pulled together a team known as the “Ghost Players” who turned up at the field once a month in an event that attracted thousands of fans. In 2021, Major League Baseball staged a regular season game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees that was billed as “MLB at Field of Dreams”. That game wasn’t played on the Field of Dreams diamond, but rather on a purpose-built playing surface 500 feet into the surrounding corn fields.

81 Pitcher sans arms : EWER

A pitcher is a container for liquid that has a handle, mouth and spout. The term “jug” is used for the same container in other English-speaking countries. “Ewer” is an older term describing a pitcher/jug. Today, a ewer is a highly decorative pitcher, often with a base and flared spout.

83 Holy animal? : COW

Announcer Harry Caray was famous for exclaiming “Holy cow!” during baseball games, and used the same phrase for the title of his autobiography.

84 Often blocked online lewdness : PORN

The word “pornography” comes from the Greek “pornographos” meaning “writing of prostitutes”.

85 Magic charms : TALISMANS

A talisman is an object used as a charm to protect against evil and attract good fortune.

88 Archery items : BOWS

An archer is someone who shoots with a bow and arrow. The term “archer” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “bow, arc”.

92 Source of intolerance : LACTOSE

The sugar known as lactose is a disaccharide, comprising a molecule of galactose combined with a molecule of glucose. Lactose is a major component in milk, and it is broken down in the body by an enzyme called lactase. The production of lactase used to diminish over time in humans, as babies stopped nursing and transitioned to solid food. Many human populations have evolved to maintain lactose production throughout life, in response to the inclusion of animal milk in the diet. Individuals and populations that do not have the genes enabling lifelong production of lactase are said to be lactose intolerant.

94 Sponsorships : AEGISES

Someone is said to be under the aegis (also “egis”) of someone else if that other person provides protection, or perhaps sponsorship. The word “aegis” comes from the Greek word for a goat (“aigis”). The idea is that the goatskin shield or breastplate, worn by both Zeus and Athena, gave some measure of protection.

97 Spider’s network : COBWEB

The silk that makes up a web is a protein fiber that is “spun” by a spider. Spider silk is about one sixth of the density of steel, yet has a comparable tensile strength.

98 Things beaten in searches, with “the” : … BUSHES

To beat the bushes is to engage in a thorough search. The expression comes from hunting, and the practice of walking through the undergrowth with long sticks to force the prey into the open, beating the bushes.

99 Baptism, for one : RITE

Baptism is a rite in many Christian traditions, one in which a candidate is admitted to the Church. The ceremony usually uses water as a sign of purification. Water may be poured on the head, or the candidate may be totally immersed.

100 Lobster catcher : POT

A lobster pot is used to trap lobsters. It is a chamber with a sturdy frame and walls made of netting. The entrance to the pot is a one-way device, so that lobsters enter the pot to eat the bait, but cannot escape after their meal. Many traps have two chambers: the “kitchen” holds the bait, and the “parlor” holds the trapped lobsters.

101 Texas or Ukraine city : ODESSA

The city of Odessa (also “Odesa”) in Ukraine was founded relatively recently, in 1794 by Catherine the Great. The city was originally meant to be called Odessos after an ancient Greek city believed to have been located nearby. Catherine liked the way the locals pronounced the name as “Odessa” and so went with the less Greek-sounding name.

The city of Odessa, Texas has as its symbol the jack rabbit. This is because from the thirties through the seventies the city hosted a rodeo for roping rabbits. The Humane Society applied pressure and the city did away with the tradition in 1977.

103 Pelvic bones : SACRA

The sacrum (plural “sacra”) and the two ilia (singular “ileum”) are three bones in the human pelvis.

106 “… the __-coloured ink”: Shak. : EBON

In William Shakespeare’s play “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, a knight named Don Armado writes to the King of Navarre to report someone he witnessed breaking the law:

Great deputy, the welkin’s vice-regent, and sole dominator of nature. . . So it is, beseiged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air. . . Where . . . I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or see’st.

The “crime” Don Armado witnessed was a servant with a young woman. Shakespeare was really good with words …

107 Mexican wolf : LOBO

In Spanish, a “lobo” is a male wolf, and a “loba” is a female.

110 Often-shared sandwich : HERO

A hero is a submarine sandwich. The hero originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the “New York Herald Tribune” when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.

111 Contacts can help them : EYES

The concepts that underpin the technology of contact lenses date back to Leonardo Da Vinci. Although Da Vinci didn’t propose the development of the contact lens, he did write about correcting vision by submerging the eye in a bowl of water. Over a hundred years later, René Descartes made a somewhat impractical suggestion, but along the right lines, of using a glass tube filled with liquid that could be placed in contact with the eye to correct vision. The first real contact lenses were developed by German ophthalmologist Adolf Gaston Eugen Fick in 1887.

113 Whig rival : TORY

“Tory” comes from the Irish word “tóraí” meaning “outlaw, robber”. The term “tory” was originally used for an Irish outlaw and later became a term of abuse for Irish rebels. At the end of the reign of King Charles II in Britain, there was a political divide with one side being called “Whigs” and the other “Tories”. Historically, the term “Tory” evolved to basically mean a supporter of the British monarchy, and indeed was used to describe those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution. Today, “Tory” is used for a member of the British Conservative Party.

The Whig Party (in the US) was active from 1833 to 1856, and was the opposition party to the Democrats at that time. One of the tenets of the Whig Party was the supremacy of Congress over the Executive branch. Prominent members of the party included Presidents Zachary Taylor and John Tyler. Abraham Lincoln was also a Whig while he served a two-year term as a US Representative for the state of Illinois. By the time he became President, Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party.

115 __ v. Wade : ROE

Roe v. Wade was decided in a US District Court in Texas in 1970, and reached the Supreme Court on appeal. The basic decision by the Supreme Court was that a woman’s constitutional right to privacy applied to an abortion, but that this right had to be balanced with a state’s interest in protecting an unborn child and a mother’s health. The Court further defined that the state’s interest became stronger with each trimester of a pregnancy. So, in the first trimester the woman’s right to privacy outweighed any state interest. In the second trimester the state’s interest in maternal health was deemed to be strong enough to allow state regulation of abortion for the sake of the mother. In the third trimester the viability of the fetus dictated that the state’s interest in the unborn child came into play, so states could regulate or prohibit abortions, except in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. I’m no lawyer, but that’s my understanding of the initial Supreme Court decision …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Cause friction : CHAFE
6 70-year-old morning show : TODAY
11 Small, deadly snakes : ASPS
15 Actor’s goal : PART
19 One way to gain access : LOGIN
20 Northern California town that once had a palindromic bakery : YREKA
21 First thing lost in the “For Want of a Nail” proverb : SHOE
22 Many a solo : ARIA
23 Air raid signal, e.g. : ALERT
24 *Fruity dish that imparts a healthy glow? : PEACHES AND CREAM
27 Significant Civil War concern : DESERTION
29 Run-throughs : REHEARSALS
30 Buzzers : BEES
31 Nuisances : PESTS
33 Ball-bearing peg : TEE
34 *Blended drinks that leave something to be desired? : NO GREAT SHAKES
39 Resort area attractions : BEACHES
43 Certain something : AURA
44 River to the English Channel : SEINE
45 Online message : POST
46 Used (up) : ATE
47 Music : verse :: poetry : __ : STANZA
50 Rule, briefly : REG
51 Indecent matter : SMUT
53 Bring upon oneself : INCUR
55 Casually shod : SANDALLED
57 *Shortbread that doesn’t crumble under pressure? : TOUGH COOKIE
59 Shell-covered edible : EGG
60 Small valley : GLEN
61 Tastes : SIPS
62 Canada’s most populous prov. : ONT
63 Snorkeling spot : REEF
65 *Pastry that doesn’t live up to its hype? : PIE IN THE SKY
69 Disney souvenir feature : EARS
73 Airport abbr. : ARR
75 Buds : PALS
76 Long, long time : AEON
78 Magna __ laude : CUM
79 *Slice that’s easy to make? : PIECE OF CAKE
84 “What’s done is done,” e. g. : PLATITUDE
86 Implanted : SOWED
87 Rich deposit : LODE
88 __ constrictor : BOA
89 Cookware coating : ENAMEL
90 Flock female : EWE
91 End of many a hammer : CLAW
93 Kuhling of “Chicago Med” : NORMA
95 For fear that : LEST
96 Thigh-length outer garment : CAR COAT
98 *Triangular confections that are a credit to their baker? : BROWNIE POINTS
102 Tolkien creature : ORC
103 Is right for : SUITS
104 “The __ Must Be Crazy”: 1980 comedy film : GODS
105 Thin-sliced, browned bread : MELBA TOAST
109 Turkey choice : WHITE MEAT
114 *Dish that’s a metaphor for life? : A BOWL OF CHERRIES
117 Authority : SAY-SO
118 Sauna covering : ROBE
119 Many a retired racehorse : SIRE
120 Off-the-wall : OUTRE
121 Draco Malfoy’s trademark expression : SNEER
122 It opens many doors : KNOB
123 H-shaped letters : ETAS
124 Cultural character : ETHOS
125 Test, as ore : ASSAY

Down

1 Dressed : CLAD
2 Flagstick holder : HOLE
3 Periods with names : AGES
4 Agitator : FIREBRAND
5 Menu listing : ENTREE
6 Keyboard pros : TYPISTS
7 After-sandwich sandwich : OREO
8 Campus leader : DEAN
9 Westminster show org. : AKC
10 “Boo-__!”: cry of celebration : YAH
11 Balance sheet heading : ASSETS
12 Persian rulers : SHAHS
13 Cornmeal product : PONE
14 Tranquilizes : SEDATES
15 About 3.26 light-years : PARSEC
16 Space : AREA
17 Omani money : RIAL
18 Alternatives to mortarboards : TAMS
25 Gaelic tongue : ERSE
26 First act? : CREATION
28 Leaves in a cup : TEA
31 Twinge : PANG
32 Barely make, with “out” : EKE …
34 Sadat’s predecessor : NASSER
35 Service break? : OUTAGE
36 Farm : GRANGE
37 Calm : SERENE
38 Hastened : HIED
39 Joni Mitchell’s “__ Sides Now” : BOTH
40 Break-in, nowadays : HACK
41 Needle case : ETUI
42 Dried-up : SERE
45 Pooch with a turned-up nose : PUG
48 Zig counterpart : ZAG
49 Star NFL player : ALL-PRO
51 Juniors-to-be : SOPHS
52 Calliope, for one : MUSE
54 Memorandum : NOTE
56 Welcoming wreath : LEI
57 Words on a spine : TITLE
58 Acme cactus costume wearer : COYOTE
61 Crawling reptile : SNAKE
64 “Mirror of the mind”: St. Jerome : FACE
66 Air 2 or Pro : IPAD
67 Deli hanger : SALAMI
68 New Zealand parrot : KEA
70 Insight : ACUMEN
71 Least courteous : RUDEST
72 Refines, as ore : SMELTS
74 Gemstone from the sea : RED CORAL
77 Diarist Anaïs : NIN
79 Tiny time meas. : PSEC
80 Field of Dreams home : IOWA
81 Pitcher sans arms : EWER
82 Word with panel or screen : FLAT
83 Holy animal? : COW
84 Often blocked online lewdness : PORN
85 Magic charms : TALISMANS
88 Archery items : BOWS
92 Source of intolerance : LACTOSE
93 “Just kidding!” : NOT!
94 Sponsorships : AEGISES
97 Spider’s network : COBWEB
98 Things beaten in searches, with “the” : … BUSHES
99 Baptism, for one : RITE
100 Lobster catcher : POT
101 Texas or Ukraine city : ODESSA
103 Pelvic bones : SACRA
105 Work on papers : MARK
106 “… the __-coloured ink”: Shak. : EBON
107 Mexican wolf : LOBO
108 “What __?” : OF IT
109 In the company of : WITH
110 Often-shared sandwich : HERO
111 Contacts can help them : EYES
112 Having set sail : ASEA
113 Whig rival : TORY
115 __ v. Wade : ROE
116 Well-worn track : RUT